The Boys are Back!

Dad --

Yes, last night was definitely a return to normalcy. And no one could be happier than me.

It was great to see that Lester's injury had no ill effects on his pitching skills. Did you know, he was perfect through the first three innings? It was pretty awesome to watch. And the standing ovation he got as he left the field in the 7th was gratifying.

But for me, the best part of yesterday's game, besides the win of course, was seeing the first string back where they belong - on the field. Watching Wednesday's final game against the Blue Jays felt like watching a preseason game. All the players, except for Papi were the second string.

I know it's the end of the year, and why risk injuring one of your starters before the playoffs, but there's a reason I don't go to preseason games. I don't wanna see the 2nd string. I wanna see Youkilis, Pedroia, and Ellsbury get hits, steal bases and make amazing catches. I know these 2nd stringers could be the Red Sox of the future, but I'm not interested in the future now. I wanna see the guys I know and trust. I have no problem putting the 2nd string in toward the end of the game, especially if it's a blow out, but watching them from the very first inning, to me that's just a cop out.

As I said, I'm glad that last night we were back to business as usual - our starters were in the lineup and we beat the Indians with a nice shutout. Here's hoping our Red Sox can carry that momentum through these last few games of the season and into the ALDS.

Jenn